Soap stand

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a soap stand, comprising a bottom portion, a skirt extending upwardly around the circumference of the bottom portion and defining an opening, and a tubular shaft which is fluted and annular, extending upwardly from the circumferential rim of the skirt. The bottom portion is preferably circular and so are the skirt and the tubular shaft. The tubular shaft extends radially and outwardly from the skirt as well as upwardly. Besides, the tubular shaft further comprises a plurality of ridges, with each adjacent pair of said ridges defining a depression therebetween. In addition, the soap stand further comprises a soap stop disposed in the opening and fixed to the bottom portion. The soap stop is preferably cylindrical and its top portion is flat.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a soap stand, and more particularly, toa soap stand having an annular fluted tubular shaft for secureinterlocking with a cake of soap, thereby preventing displacement,twisting or turning of the soap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Soap is used in bathrooms or kitchens. Soap is slippery and easily getsout of a person's grip. After soap is used in water, it becomes soft andmessy and begins to crumble unless it is taken good care of. Moreover,the soap may be wasted a lot faster and make the bathrooms being exposedto the risk of slip and fall accidents.

To prevent these problems, a number of soap containers or soap holdershave been known and used. For example, a soap holder as described inU.S. Pat. No. 2,475,500 has been disclosed to conserve soap and helpfast drainage of water adhering to the soap. The soap holder comprises abase and receptacles for receiving and supporting the soap.

However, it is cumbersome for a soap user to place the soap back ontothe soap container or soap holder following each period of use of thesoap.

Accordingly, to solve the above problems, a need for a soap stand havingan annular fluted tubular shaft has been present for a long timeconsidering the expansive demands in the everyday life. This inventionis directed to solve these problems and satisfy the long-felt need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention contrives to solve the disadvantages of the priorart. The present invention provides a soap stand having an annularfluted tubular shaft for secure interlocking with a cake of soap,thereby preventing displacement, twisting or turning of the soap. Thesoap stand comprises a bottom portion; a skirt extending upwardly aroundthe circumference of the bottom portion and defining an opening; and atubular shaft, extending upwardly from the circumferential rim of theskirt. The tubular shaft is fluted and annular and extends radially andoutwardly from the skirt. In addition, the soap stand further comprisesa soap stand disposed in the opening and fixed to the bottom portion,for preventing the soap from being inserted unnecessarily deep into thesoap stand, thereby breaking the soap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a soap stand, comprising abottom portion; a skirt extending upwardly around the circumference ofthe bottom portion and defining an opening; and a tubular shaft which isfluted and annular, extending upwardly apart from and along the upperand outer circumferential rim of the skirt. The flat upper and outer rimof the skirt prevents the soap from being inserted unnecessarily deepinto the soap stand.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a soap stand,comprising a bottom portion; a skirt extending upwardly around thecircumference of the bottom portion and defining an opening; and atubular shaft having outward threads, extending upwardly apart from andalong the upper and outer circumferential rim of the skirt. The outwardthreads securely interlock the soap stand into the soap and the upperand outer rim of the skirt prevents the soap from being insertedunnecessarily deep into the soap stand.

The advantages of the present invention are: (1) the soap stand of thepresent invention helps conserving soap and keeping it dry when notbeing used; (2) with the use of the soap stand of the present invention,a cake of soap may not escape its user and slide across a floor ofbathroom or kitchen; (3) the tubular shaft of the soap stand accordingto the present invention prevents displacement as well as twisting orturning of the cake of soap; (4) the soap stand of the present inventionhastens drainage and evaporation of surface water which may be adheringto the soap following each period of use of the soap; (5) the soap standof the present invention dispenses with the need for soap dishes or soapholders, saving time and water to clean the soap dish or holder; and (6)the soap stand of the present invention is environmentally friendlybecause it saves the use of soap, cleaning time and water consumption.Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the fullerunderstanding of the invention can be obtained by the followingdrawings, detailed description and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the soap stand according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the soap stand according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the soap stand according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 shows an A-A′ cross sectional view of FIG. 2 according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of still another embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view of still another embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view of still another embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 shows a front view of still another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of FIG. 9 according to the presentinvention; and

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the present invention being inserted intoa cake of soap which is described in the broken lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

FIGS. 1-3 respectively show a perspective view, a top view and a frontview of the soap stand according to the present invention. The soapstand 100 comprises a bottom portion 10; a skirt 20 extending upwardlyaround the circumference of the bottom portion 10 and defining anopening 11; and a tubular shaft 30, extending upwardly from thecircumferential rim of the skirt 20. The tubular shaft 30 is the part tobe inserted into a cake of soap and the bottom portion 10 supports theintegrated soap and soap stand 100. Preferably, about the center oflargest side of the soap is inserted by the tubular shaft 30 and then,the bottom portion 10 can stably support the soap. The soap is soft andmalleable and the upwardly fluted shaft 30 is easy to be inserted intothe soap. Among many kinds of shapes, the bottom portion 10 ispreferably circular and so are the skirt 20 and the tubular shaft 30.Alternatively the bottom portion 10 may be a regular polygon.

The tubular shaft 30 may be fluted and annular and extend radially andoutwardly from the skirt 20 as well as upwardly. As the tubular shaft 30extends upwardly and outwardly from the skirt 20, the tubular shaft 30does not slip out from the soap once it is inserted thereinto.

The tubular shaft 30 may further comprise a plurality of ridges 31, witheach adjacent pair of said ridges 31 defining a depression 32therebetween. This structure of ridges 31 and depressions 32 is easy tomanufacture and helps strong interlocking between the tubular shaft 30and the soap. Once the tubular shaft 30 is interlocked into the soap, itdoes not slip out, nor rotate.

FIG. 4 shows an A-A′ cross sectional view of FIG. 2 according to thepresent invention. The soap stand 100 further comprises a soap stop 40disposed in the opening 11 and fixed to the bottom portion 11. The soapstop 40 is preferably cylindrical and its top portion is flat. The soapstop 40 prevents the soap from being inserted unnecessarily deep intothe part of the skirt 20. If the soap stand 100 is unnecessarily deeplyinserted into the soap, the soap may become crumbly and breaks easily.

FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of alternative embodiment of thepresent invention. Here, the soap stop 42 is integrated with the bottomportion 10 and the skirt 20.

FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view of still another embodiment of thepresent invention. The soap stand 100 further comprises a cylindricalcover 50 with a flat upper rim, outwardly covering the skirt 20. Thecylindrical cover 50 may cover the bottom portion 10 as well. The flatupper rim plays the role of the soap stop 40 above, preventing the soapfrom being inserted unnecessarily deep into the part of the skirt 20.

FIG. 6 shows alternative embodiment of FIG. 7. Here, the cylindricalcover 50 is integrated with the skirt 20 to form a thickened skirt 20with an outwardly extended flat upper rim. The cylindrical cover 50 maybe further integrated with the bottom portion 10 to make the bottomportion 10 thicker. The soap stand 100 of FIG. 6 may be alternativelydescribed as comprising a bottom portion 10, a skirt 20 extendingupwardly around the circumference of the bottom portion 20 and definingan opening 11, and a tubular shaft 30 which is fluted and annular,extending upwardly apart from and along the upper and outercircumferential rim of the skirt 20. Here, the bottom portion 10 may becircular and the tubular shaft 30 may further extend radially outwardlyfrom the skirt 20. In addition, the tubular shaft 30 may furthercomprise a plurality of ridges 31, with each adjacent pair of saidridges 31 defining a depression 32 therebetween.

FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view of still another embodiment of thepresent invention. Here, the bottom portion 10, the soap stop 40 and theskirt 20 with an outwardly extended flat upper rim are integrated toform a solid block 60. Therefore the solid block 60 plays the roles ofsupporting the soap stand 100 and preventing the soap from beinginserted unnecessarily deeply into the soap stand 100.

FIGS. 9 and 10 respectively show a front view and a perspective view ofstill another embodiment of the present invention. The soap stand 100comprises a bottom portion 10, a skirt 20 extending upwardly around thecircumference of the bottom portion 10 and defining an opening 11, and atubular shaft 30 having outward threads, extending upwardly apart fromand along the upper and outer circumferential rim of the skirt 20. Theoutwardly extended flat upper rim of the skirt 20 prevents the soap frombeing inserted unnecessarily deep into the soap stand 100. Preferably,the bottom portion 10 and the skirt 20 are integrated to form a soldblock 60. This integrated structure is easier to manufacture and thussaves manufacturing cost.

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the present invention being inserted intoa cake of soap which is described in the broken lines. Preferably, aboutthe center of largest side of the soap is inserted by the tubular shaft30 and then, the bottom portion 10 can stably support the soap.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference todifferent embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilledin the art that variations in form, detail, compositions and operationmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas defined by the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A soap stand comprising: a bottom portion; askirt extending upwardly around the circumference of the bottom portionand defining an opening; and a tubular shaft, extending upwardly fromthe circumferential rim of the skirt.
 2. The soap stand of claim 1,wherein the bottom portion is circular.
 3. The soap stand of claim 1,wherein the tubular shaft is fluted and annular.
 4. The soap stand ofclaim 3, wherein the tubular shaft extends radially outwardly from theskirt.
 5. The soap stand of claim 3, wherein the tubular shaft comprisesa plurality of ridges, with each adjacent pair of said ridges defining adepression therebetween.
 6. The soap stand of claim 1, furthercomprising a soap stop disposed in the opening and fixed to the bottomportion.
 7. The soap stand of claim 6, wherein the soap stop iscylindrical.
 8. The soap stand of claim 1, further comprising acylindrical cover with a flat upper rim, outwardly covering the skirt.9. The soap stand of claim 8, wherein the cylindrical cover covers thebottom portion as well.
 10. A soap stand comprising: a bottom portion; askirt extending upwardly around the circumference of the bottom portionand defining an opening; and a tubular shaft, extending upwardly apartfrom and along the upper and outer circumferential rim of the skirt. 11.The soap stand of claim 10, wherein the bottom portion is circular. 12.The soap stand of claim 10, wherein the tubular shaft is fluted andannular.
 13. The soap stand of claim 12, wherein the tubular shaftextends radially outwardly from the skirt.
 14. The soap stand of claim12, wherein the tubular shaft comprises a plurality of ridges, with eachadjacent pair of said ridges defining a depression therebetween.
 15. Asoap stand comprising: a bottom portion; a skirt extending upwardlyaround the circumference of the bottom portion and defining an opening;and a tubular shaft having outward threads, extending upwardly apartfrom and along the upper and outer circumferential rim of the skirt. 16.The soap stand of claim 15, wherein the bottom portion and the skirt areintegrated to form a solid block.